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Video Duration 11 minutes 51 seconds 11:51Watch World Cup Day 12: Argentina, France advance to knockouts; Jordan outLatest match highlights, reaction and previews from the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America.Published On 23 Jun 2026
In this episode we look at the Tamil Nadu Assembly revives the Cauvery dispute with a resolution against Karnataka’s Mekedatu dam project, while Kerala’s first budget under Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan sparks political debate. We also look at Israel-Hezbollah clashes test a fragile U.S.-Iran deal, and more. Published - June 19, 2026 10:23 pm IST Published - June 19, 2026 10:23 pm IST Related Topics Above the Fold
Strong winds fueled a wildfire that spread into a residential area in eastern Washington, prompting the evacuation of approximately 1,500 residents and destroying at least 15 homes, authorities said on Wednesday.During a press conference, Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels stated that a family member had reported one person missing. However, emergency crews were unable to enter the affected area to search for them because the fire conditions remained too hazardous on Wednesday afternoon, reported AP.“They have a location to look but it’s not safe to look there at the moment,” Nowels stated.According to Sheriff John Nowels, many residents of the densely populated neighbourhoods were forced to evacuate with little warning, often after being alerted by officers going door-to-door. As a result, some people had to leave behind personal belongings and even essential medications.To help residents retrieve critical items, law enforcement officers were escorting individuals back to their homes one at a time on Wednesday. After collecting necessary belongings, residents were then escorted out of the evacuation zone again.Nowels mentioned that 15 homes had been destroyed by the wildfire, though no injuries or fatalities had been recorded.Chandra Fox, deputy director of Spokane County Emergency Management, said the evacuation order affecting approximately 1,500 residents remained in place on Wednesday.“Our concern is for increased winds Wednesday afternoon,” Fox stated.The fire began shortly after noon on Tuesday and rapidly spread uphill, according to Robert Gray, a spokesperson for the local fire district. As wind conditions changed, the flames were pushed toward a nearby residential area, intensifying the threat to homes.The city of Spokane is located about 280 miles (450 kilometers) east of Seattle, close to the Idaho border.Spokane Valley Fire Department reactsJohn Leavell, a battalion chief with the Spokane Valley Fire Department, said he was among the first to notice the fire. While driving near Interstate 90, he spotted a large plume of smoke rising in the distance.“As I approached it, I thought this is going to be a big event — this is going fast. It looked like waves of fire going up the hill," he said.John Leavell discovered a home completely consumed by flames after pulling into a driveway. He immediately alerted nearby emergency agencies, and while the local fire district assumed command of the response, his crew began establishing fire lines to slow the spread of the blaze.Leavell said it was unclear whether the fire originated at the house or if the structure was quickly overtaken by flames. Investigators are still determining the cause.Firefighters from both Washington and Idaho responded to the wildfire using ground crews and aircraft. Despite their efforts, the fire rapidly expanded to about 225 acres (0.35 square miles). According to the National Interagency Fire Center, the blaze was 10% contained by Wednesday morning.As the fire advanced, utility company Avista shut off electricity in the affected area to protect firefighting personnel. Power remained unavailable in some locations on Wednesday.Officials noted that weather conditions had begun to improve, providing a more favorable environment for firefighters battling the blaze.Weather conditions became more favorable for firefighting efforts on Wednesday. According to Rachael Fewkes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane, winds had weakened and were expected to continue decreasing after sunset. Temperatures also cooled slightly, dropping from the mid-80s on Tuesday to around 80 degrees on Wednesday.The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Wednesday that it had approved Fire Management Assistance Grant funding to help cover the costs of battling the Spokane-area wildfire. A regional FEMA official noted that the blaze had the potential to become a major disaster due to the threats it posed to homes, a school, power infrastructure,
At IO-AI Tech, a startup about 45 minutes north of downtown Shenzhen, China, I glimpsed a wacky new frontier of blue-collar work. Workers wearing the company's VR headsets, handheld controllers, and motion-tracking gear remotely control humanoid robots for workplaces like factory floors and convenience stores. The company wants the robots to do useful work, like stocking shelves and picking items out of bins, but it also wants to gather training data that could one day let the bots operate autonomously.To show off the tech, the company invited me to its offices, where I was allowed to control 10 humanoid robotic hands, each from a different company, using a custom motion-tracking glove. The device instantly transferred my finger movements to all 50 robotic digits.I’m a little embarrassed to say that the first thing I tried with this futuristic gear was getting all 10 hands to flip the bird. After getting this out of my system, I was impressed by how quickly my movements transferred to the robot hands, and how easily the tech went both ways—I was able to feel a ball placed in one of the electronic hands.Courtesy of Will KnightThe company also let me try a system that’s being tested by a Chinese convenience store chain. Using a VR headset and a pair of grippers, I tried picking up boxes of medication from a shelf. It was disorienting at first: I had to adjust to a slight difference between my movements and those of the robot I could see through the headset. After a little practice, however, I was stacking shelves like a robot-boss.Elsewhere, I watched people wearing virtual reality headsets and body-tracking sensors reminiscent of Ready Player One. In one large room, I saw workers using a range of different systems to control diminutive Unitree humanoids. One person marched around with a Unitree robot next to them, and the machine mirrored their movements within a mocked-up apartment. The human operator, wearing a headset and viewing the scene through the robot’s eye-level cameras, went through the motions needed to remove a shirt from a hanger and fold it.IO-AI develops technology that transfers a person’s movements to different robot forms—a useful offering because there are dozens of different humanoids and robot hands on the market in China today. The startup's algorithms also need to combine human control with some level of autonomy because a person and a robot aren’t always going to be the same shape, size, and weight. Without some ability to move independently, the robot may lose its balance.Courtesy of Will KnightCourtesy of Will KnightShenzhen, which is home to thousands of manufacturers, is an ideal base for the company. Si Chin, one of IO-AI Tech’s cofounders, tells me that the location makes it easy to develop and refine new prototypes. She also notes that IO-AI Tech is working with a number of local manufacturers keen to automate tasks. One Chinese company, Jack Sewing Machines, makes clothes manufacturing equipment and is working with the startup to train two-armed robots to perform tasks like ironing shirts. These robots could fit onto an existing production line and automate work currently done by hand, an executive from the company told me.Some roboticists believe that giving AI algorithms vast amounts of tele-operation data will eventually unlock extremely capable and general models. Chin says that might be so, but she also believes it makes sense to take an incremental approach to deploying AI-powered automation.“It is similar to self-driving cars,” she says, referencing the way that these machines have been deployed in more and more settings with increasing autonomy. “You need this training data that’s more focused on the specific thing you’re trying to address.” She says that robot teleoperation is even gaining traction in some Chinese vocational schools.China’s manufacturing prowess already produces cheap, high-quality robots like Unitree’s. If IO-AI Tech is any indication, it might also help AI master the
SpaceX sent 24 Starlink satellites to orbit on Monday (June 15) — a number that nearly matched the percentage-point jump the company's stock has taken on its first day of trading after going public on Friday (June 12).A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California today at 11:34 a.m. EDT (1534 GMT; 8:34 a.m. PDT local time).SpaceX, which now trades under the ticker symbol SPCX on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange, confirmed a successful satellite deployment about an hour after the launch. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 24 Starlink satellites launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Monday, June 15, 2026. (Image credit: SpaceX)About 8.5 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage (Booster B1093) landed on the autonomous drone ship "Of Course I Still Love You" positioned in the Pacific Ocean. It was the 14th flight for the booster.The satellites (known as Group 17-54) raised the Starlink megaconstellation to 10,660 active units, according to tracker Jonathan McDowell. The network provides broadband internet access around the world, powers some airlines' inflight wifi and enables direct cell-to-satellite access for select providers. SpaceX's Group 17-54 Starlink satellites are seen in orbit on June 15, 2026, before deploying from the upper stage of their Falcon 9 rocket. (Image credit: SpaceX)SpaceX's IPO (initial public offering) on Friday was the largest in history, valuing the company at $1.77 trillion and making founder and CEO Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire. More than 4,400 of the company's past and present employers are estimated to have become millionaires thanks to the move.The stock was trading at more than $180 per share at the time this article was published.Monday's launch was SpaceX's 69th Falcon 9 mission of the year. More than 80% of those flights have been Starlink missions.
(Image credit: Émile-Antoine Bayard and Alphonse de Neuville / NASA) "From the pages of Jules Verne to a modern-day mission to the moon, a new chapter of our exploration of our celestial neighbor is complete." So said NASA commentator Rob Navias as Artemis 2’s Integrity spacecraft landed safely in the Pacific this past April.It is striking just how similar the mission profile of Artemis 2 was to the journey described by the French author in the mid-19th century. At a time when his peers were writing about fanciful balloon trips to other planets, Jules Verne dealt realistically with escape velocity, orbital slingshots, and course-correction burns. Yes, he made mistakes — some of them laughably obvious to the modern reader — but many aspects of his stories were eerily prescient of the real space missions that were still a century or more away.Often called the father of science fiction, the prolific Verne wrote of extraordinary voyages on modes of transport that did not yet exist, like the submarine in "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", and took readers to unexplored regions, such as "Journey to the Center of the Earth".Verne’s fourth novel, "From the Earth to the Moon", was published in 1865. Its darkly comic opening chapters describe how the members of the Baltimore Gun Club find their ballistic talents surplus to requirements at the conclusion of the American Civil War (a conflict still ongoing as Verne wrote). Club president Impey Barbicane proposes a new outlet for their skills: "I began to wonder whether, with a sufficiently large cannon, it might be possible to shoot a projectile to the moon."Verne was obsessed with facts and figures. He explains the math and science of Barbicane’s 900 ft (274 m) cannon, or "Columbiad", in great detail, including the trajectory of its projectile.His reasoning about where to locate the Columbiad was sound enough to be replicated by NASA decades later: launch from as close to the equator as possible to get a speed boost from the Earth’s rotation. Verne picked a spot near Fort Myers, on the opposite side of the Floridian peninsula to Cape Canaveral, but at a very similar latitude.G-force extremes Image credit: Émile-Antoine Bayard and Alphonse de Neuville Image credit: Space.com / Josh Dinner As "From the Earth to the Moon" proceeds, French adventurer Michael Ardan volunteers to man the Columbiad’s hollow projectile. Barbicane and his nemesis, Captain Nicholl, soon agree to join him.But here we hit the first major problem in Verne’s vision. Unlike a rocket, which accelerates to escape velocity over a few minutes, subjecting its crew to strong but survivable g-forces, a projectile fired from a cannon accelerates almost instantaneously. Barbicane, Nicholl, and Ardan would have been crushed to a paste.Nonetheless, the fictional launch is successful, and "All Around the Moon", published four years later in 1869, picks up the story. Instead of hitting the moon, as Barbicane had rather recklessly intended, the projectile turns out to be on a free-return trajectory, taking it around the far side of our natural satellite.Some of the sequel’s details are charmingly naive. Although Verne equips his travelers with chemical apparatus to produce oxygen and scrub carbon dioxide, he has no qualms about them opening portholes on several occasions, as long as they’re quick! His projectile’s interior is spacious and richly appointed like a Victorian study, and its occupants enjoy gourmet meals with fine wines, a far cry from the rehydrated rations that Reid Wiseman and company munched on during Artemis 2.Verne also has his crew mostly bound to the capsule’s floor by gravity. He mistakenly has them experience weightlessness only at the "neutral point", the spot where the Earth's and moon’s gravitational pulls are equally balanced. Still, it is quite amazing to read zero g imagined at a time when it was completely beyond all human experience (except perhaps briefly, if one of the recently invented "saf
(Image credit: Paramount) Norton is renowned for providing industry-leading antivirus and security software. The US brand's VPN service is recommended as one of the best VPN services and also one of the most improved VPN providers of 2026 by our tech expert colleagues at TechRadar.Norton VPN scored an impressive 4 out of 5-star rating with its speeds, ease of use, and straightforward app being some of its review features. Norton has just dropped discounts across its three VPN plans, and you can save up to 64% or $70 when you sign up for a one-year plan.Save up to $70 off when you sign up for a Norton VPN one-year plan at Norton.As well as providing a host of online security features, a VPN allows you to view all your space and sci-fi streaming shows and movies from anywhere in the world.There is a load of exciting sci-fi series coming in the next few months, including Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4, which is scheduled to premiere globally on Paramount+ on Thursday, July 23, 2026.The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise — led by Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) — is set to embark on another season of thrilling and emotional adventures across the stars. Rebecca Romijn, who plays Commander Una Chin-Riley in the acclaimed sci-fi series, recently told fans, "We're so proud of this Strange New Worlds, and we're really proud of season 4; we think it's our best season yet."Paul Brett is a deals writer at Space, Live Science, and across the Sports and Knowledge titles at Future. Paul is a huge sci-fi fan, hooked on Star Wars from the moment he saw A New Hope in the cinema, and as part of his deals hunting role at Space, has started an unplanned (and expensive) Lego Star Wars collection.We've got you covered with reviews and rankings of the best telescopes, binoculars, star projectors, cameras, drones, Lego, streaming and more. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | Season 4 Official Teaser | Paramount+ (CCXP Mexico 2026) - YouTube Watch On A VPN is a solution to geo-blocking when it comes to viewing your streaming services. Assuming it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs, you can use a VPN to unblock the streaming services you're subscribed to and allow for uninterrupted viewing from any location.Norton not only unlocks streaming geo-restrictions but also comes with added security benefits, which are particularly useful when overseas and connecting to unknown Wi-Fi connections. It offers ad blockers, anti-malware protection, a password manager and breach scanner, fast connections, and identity theft insurance. It means you can view and download content, work, and generally be online anywhere in the world with confidence.These Norton deals are live now, running from June 11-24 inclusive, with prices and offers varying depending on the plan chosen and your location.Key features: Up to 64% discount, high-speed VPN, ad and tracker blocker, anti-malware protection, password manager, data-breach scanner and cloud backup.Price history: Before today's deal, the price of the popular "Plus" plan was $109.99. It's now 64% off and takes it down to just $39.99, or $3.33 for a one-year plan.✅ Buy it if: You're looking for maximum online security, and you want to stream all your favorite shows anywhere in the world.❌ Don't buy it if: Either you already have a VPN, or you're not in the market for one. Those are the only reasons you wouldn't make the most of this excellent value offer.Check out our other guides to the best telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, lego and much more. Disclaimer We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishi
3 min readNew DelhiJun 7, 2026 04:27 PM IST WWDC 2026 keynote goes live on June 8 with expected announcements including Siri 2.0, iOS 27, macOS 27 and Apple's AI roadmap. (Image: Apple)It is time once again for Apple’s annual developer conference, better known as the Worldwide Developers Conference or WWDC. WWDC 2026 will take place over five days, (June 8-12) at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, United States. The main event, however, is the opening keynote presentation which will be held on Monday, June 8, from 10:30pm IST onwards.Apple fans will be able to watch the keynote live at Apple.com, on Apple’s YouTube channel, and the Apple TV app. You can tune into the livestream by clicking on the link embedded below: The keynote traditionally lasts over 60 minutes and is streamed for online audiences while being held for local attendees at Apple Park. WWDC 2026 is set to be a significant event for the company’s software division, especially as it has continued to expand its ambitions in the AI space following the difficult launch of Apple Intelligence in 2024. Industry rumours indicate that Apple had been developing a new generation Siri dubbed ‘Siri 2.0’. This year’s conference is also Tim Cook’s final WWDC as the CEO of Apple, with John Ternus, current senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, set to take over the reins in September. Cook will remain as executive chairman of Apple’s board of directors. Reports suggest that both Cook and Ternus will be a part of Monday’s keynote presentation. Ternus’s foremost challenge will be to pivot to a new AI strategy, move beyond Apple’s long-embraced philosophy where necessary, and position the company as a compelling alternative to its peers by capitalising on its strengths. So, if you do not want to miss Tim Cook onstage possibly for the last time as Apple CEO, along with the debut of iOS 27, an all-new Siri, and potentially some new Mac devices, watch the keynote live. What to expect WWDC 2026 could shape up to be a crucial event as the long-awaited relaunch of Siri as a full-fledged AI assistant is set to make its debut at this year’s conference. The company’s invite artwork has sparked speculation about the future of Siri.Story continues below this ad The teaser image shared by Apple features a glowing, colourful symbol hovering above Apple Park alongside the tagline “coming bright up”, leading many observers to believe the company may finally be preparing a major visual and AI-focused redesign for Siri. Apple is also expected to announce details of the next operating systems for its entire hardware lineup, which should include iOS 27, macOS 27, iPadOS 27, watchOS 27, tvOS 27, and visionOS 27. In many ways, the event also sets the stage for the big iPhone launch in September this year, where Apple is expected to launch its first-ever foldable iPhone.
30th meeting of WMCC on India-China Border Affairs held in New Delhi News On AIR
People walk with umbrellas during the rain that lashed in Kochi, Kerala. File | Photo Credit: H.Vibhu With conditions favourable for the Southwest monsoon to further advance, the IMD had issued a heavy rainfall warning for over 15 districts in the western and southern parts of Tamil Nadu.Read | Monsoon ‘likely to set in’ over Kerala around June 4: IMDThe southwest monsoon is expected to onset over Kerala around June 4, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had said. Typically, the monsoon arrives in Kerala around June 1, marking the beginning of the southwest monsoon season (June- September).Also Read | 2026 to be driest in 11 years. How badly can a deficient monsoon hit crop output?The IMD had earlier said the monsoon onset over Kerala would take place on May 26. However, it was delayed, and the department stated on May 29 that the onset could occur the following week. The IMD stated that India is expected to see 90% of the long-period average (LPA) this year.Follow the live for more updates:June 04, 2026 08:20 Monsoon 2026: How to track clouds through IMD’s INSAT satellite imagery? Here’s how you can track the monsoonKerala Monsoon 2026: How to track clouds through IMD INSAT 3D-S satellite imageryKerala Monsoon 2026: Check how to track the clouds through IMD's INSAT 3D-S satellite imagery.June 04, 2026 07:26 Kerala monsoon onset: Why southwest monsoon arrival matters for India Kerala monsoon onset: Why southwest monsoon arrival matters for IndiaKerala monsoon onset on June 4, 2026: As heavy rains trigger IMD alerts, the Kerala monsoon onset is proven vital for India's agriculture and economy.June 04, 2026 07:23 Ahead of monsoon, Palghar district administration organises seminar on lightning safety The Palghar district administration has launched an awareness drive on lightning safety ahead of the monsoon after 27 people lost their lives in lightning strikes in the district between 2014 and 2025, a senior official said.District Disaster Management Officer Vivekanand Kadam said a seminar on understanding lightning and preventing related fatalities was organised by the district disaster management department under the guidance of District Collector Indurani Jakhar and other senior officials.Addressing participants, Mr. Kadam said the programme was aimed at educating citizens and frontline government personnel about the risks associated with lightning strikes.PTIJune 04, 2026 07:09 Monsoon rain lashed Kochi on Thursday morningWhatsApp Image 2026-06-04 at 06.52.53.jpegPhoto credit: H.VibhuJune 04, 2026 06:56 Kerala takes up monsoon preparedness activities Pre-monsoon preparedness activities are being taken up in the State in a coordinated manner and all planned activities are on schedule, Minister for Local Self-Governments K.M. Shaji said in the Assembly on Tuesday (June 2, 2026). Read more Published - June 04, 2026 06:56 am IST
Former Vice President Mike Pence has slammed President Donald Trump's second administration, accusing it of ‘departing’ from conservative principles. He also slammed the anti-weaponisation fund, calling it a ‘bad idea’.Former US Vice President Mike Pence slams President Donald Trump's second administration(REUTERS)Former Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday (local time) said that US President Donald Trump's second administration has “departed” from traditional conservative principles.Pence, who served as Trump's vice president during his first term, told NBC News that the administration is no longer committed to "the conservative agenda that has defined the Republican Party since the days of Ronald Reagan, and before that, an agenda of American leadership, limited government, free market economics, the right to life.”Pence also noted that “on a number of those issues, the president’s been good” in the past.No question about Trump's popularity: PenceThe former vice president stated that there's no question about Trump's popularity and added, "I give him all the credit in the world for the hold that he has on Republican voters.”Pence said that he believes GOP voters align with the Republican Party's core conservative principles, stating that "if Republicans this fall and in 2028 hold up those time-honored conservative principles, those voters will rally to our cause.”Most MAGA voters still back conservative principles: PenceHe also said that while he understands why most Republican primary voters support Trump-backed candidates, he believes the vast majority of people in the MAGA movement continue to support traditional conservative principles, including a strong US leadership role on the world stage, limited government, lower taxes, fewer regulations, opposition to policies such as government ownership of businesses, price controls, and broad tariffs, and a commitment to protecting unborn life.Pence slams second Trump administrationThe former vice president lashed out at the US president's current administration for not doing enough to restrict abortion pills, saying, “This administration, we see a desire to relegate the right to life to a state-only issue, to actually have a pro-abortion secretary of HHS who has done nothing to limit the availability of the abortion pill.”He also warned that the values of Trump's second administration could affect how Republicans fare in the upcoming midterm elections in November, adding that if they win, it will only be because Democrats are too radical.Pence hits out at Democrats“I think in many respects Republicans have lost our way, but Democrats have lost their mind, and I think the reason why we’re going to hold the Senate, and we have a real shot to hold the House, is because of the extremism on the Democratic side,” he said, pointing specifically to the Texas Senate race.Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton dethroned Sen. John Cornyn in the race for the GOP Senate nomination, setting up a general election matchup against Democratic nominee James Talarico.Anti-weaponisation fund a bad idea: PencePence also expressed criticism of the Department of Justice (DOJ)'s "anti-weaponisation fund," which includes roughly $1.8 billion that could be paid out to individuals who believe they have been wrongly targeted by the government. The fund was temporarily blocked last week by a federal judge.He noted that the anti-weaponisation fund was a bad idea right from the beginning, and his advice to the current administration would be to drop it.Pence, who was overseeing the congressional certification of the 2020 presidential election results when the January 6 attack on the Capitol unfolded and was forced to leave the building for safety, said he believes most Republicans and Americans share his unfavourable opinion of the fund.The former vice president's remarks highlight how he is at odds with Trump's second administration.Key TakeawaysPence believes Trump's administration is not adhering to
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is poised to launch 29 Amazon Leo internet satellites to orbit on Friday night (May 28).
